'Politicians making doctors scapegoats to hide incompetency'

New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of AIIMS on Monday said doctors were being made “scapegoats” by politicians in order to hide their own incompetencies in managing healthcare.

“Doctors and patients have a very pious relation. We request politicians not to spoil this to hide your incompetency,” said the statement issued by RDA.

The statement comes a day after Kafil Khan, a nodal officer and in-charge of the encephalitis ward of the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College and Hospital in Gorakhpur, where 63 children died due to lack of oxygen supply, was sacked.

However, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the children died due to encephalitis and other hygiene-related issues and not due to the lack of oxygen supply.

A day before Khan was sacked, he was praised by the media for preventing more children from collapsing.

The statement said: “This is disheartening for us doctors who work from dawn to dusk, care for patients provided with minimal equipments and work under tremendous pressure and expectations.”

The association also accused the government of having less budget allocation for health but blaming the doctors for every mishap.

“Health care spending continue to decrease. India is getting sicker in terms of mental and physical well being.

“The government is only concerned about privatisation; they are only concerned about their capitalist friends. Giving priority to private sector and ignoring public sector will ruin the country one day,” it added.